The mood at Lazio's home ground was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had conceded 10 goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or was there ever a thread maintaining its structure from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, only for him to later acknowledge that the board had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Rumours that his departure was imminent were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic during matches as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their initial five matches, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to tell if they are improving or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Surprising Return
One individual kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this season. He completed the last one at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were pushing for him to stay there a while longer. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived initially when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances with the club in that campaign, all but one of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Discovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was still trying to determine the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Billed as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
